Tags: Exit Row Seating

This post is part of the Ask Alex, Travel Question Wednesdays weekly series. To see previous questions click here. To submit your own; tweet it to @AlexBerger, ask it in a comment on this post or send it in by e-mail.

This week’s travel question is from James K. he asks,

Q. “I believe I read that you are fairly tall. As a tall person where is the best place to sit on an Airplane?”

A. – You’re correct! I’m right around 193 cm or just under 6’4″ depending on the mode of measurement you want to use. This means that I JUST fit in most airline seats. It also means that I have a deep seated hatred for people who press the recline button and then throw their weight against the seat back without warning to recline as quickly as humanly possible. I’m not sure the exact thinking but I assume it is tied to the old “If I do it quick, maybe they won’t notice” line of thinking. Given my knees are usually flush against the back of the seat in front of me, and align perfectly with the tray arms I do notice. Every time. Painfully. As a result it’s not uncommon for me to finish a flight with lightly bruised knees.

If you’ve found yourself in a similar boat then you will have likely heard that the exit row seating or bulkhead row seating is the best place to sit. In general the common narrative when discussing airline seating seems to be that these are the best seats on the plane. For years I fell into this school of thought and sought them out. No longer.

Unless you absolutely require exit row seating avoid it. It sucks. If you’re tall, but still short enough to fit into the standard seat I suggest opting for an aisle and bypassing the exit row land rush all together. Why?

Most tall men (and women) seek out the exit row. Tall people tend not to be bone-thin. If you get unlucky (as I often did) you’ll find yourself sandwiched into tiny seats next to two other large men who can’t help but sprawl. While you may have picked up an inch or two of added knee room you’ve lost it in shoulder and leg room. Few things make a multi-hour flight less enjoyable than role-playing a sardine in a sardine tin for 8 hours straight. It’s also worth noting that these seats are desirable for people who tend to be slightly heavier as well, as it makes getting in and out of the inner seats significantly easier.

You have to stow all of your carry on items. While a fairly minor annoyance the requirement that bulkhead/exit row seats require all luggage be stowed in the overhead during takeoff and landing can be fairly annoying. Especially if flying in/out of an airport with sub-par weather and regular post-boarding flight delays. As baggage fees increase the lack of overhead space can also be a huge pain.

The seats don’t recline. While some bulkhead seats recline most exit row seating is locked in the upright position. In many cases I find that this can be more uncomfortable than tight leg room over long haul flights. While this may be redundant for many tall travelers, keep in mind that most airline seats are designed to offer back and neck support. Unfortunately, the molding for these types of seats tends to be for at maximum a 6’1″-6’2″ build. I often leave long flights and bus rides with sore shoulders because of the way the seats push my upper body forward with the upper back cradle hitting mid-shoulder blade instead of higher as intended.

It’s probably more expensive. Responding to demand and eager to make a quick buck a lot of airlines have started charging extra for exit and bulkhead seating. In addition to being a questionable practice for a variety of different reasons, it’s just not worth the extra money.

Keep in mind that different airlines and different aircraft have vastly different configurations. Sites like Seat Guru (http://www.seatguru.com) have done a great job providing high quality research tools which you can use in preparation for your next flight. Best of luck, and have a safe (and enjoyable) flight!

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Alex Berger

In 2007 I set out on a three month solo trip through Europe. I've been authoring VirtualWayfarer ever since with a focus on sharing stories, musings, and advice through a visually and narrative rich format.

I'm a former M&A professional from Arizona who re-located to Copenhagen, Denmark five years ago. I currently work as a Product Marketing Manager in the ad tech industry while simultaneously authoring this blog.

All opinions expressed on this site are mine alone and do not represent my employer.